It’s spring. You’re probably one of those people who love to go out and prepare the soil, buy the plants for flower and vegetable gardens, and pull the weeds already rearing their heads. You love that stuff, right? Good for you; I don’t. I spend as little time tending to my yard and flower beds as is legally possible. That said, I’ve got some “weeds” I’d like to tend to this spring. Will you join me?
Read More(Note from Lynn: I asked my smart friend, Judy Nagel, retired Wells Fargo Financial Advisor and active member of Rotary International, to share with us her perspective on a proposed amendment to the Constitution regarding needed campaign finance reform. And so we ask you to consider: Is it free $peech?)
Yes, you read that correctly: I want to know whether money is part of free speech, because the United States Supreme Court said it is. Remember Citizens United in 2010, when the Court ruled that restricting political spending by corporations and unions is inconsistent with the First Amendment? Money talks, I guess, and we’re not allowed to silence it.
Read MoreRecently I spent a good bit of time preparing to address the City of Green Bay Finance Committee: It would be my second plea to them to please make our local property tax bill transparent by noting, not just how much tax money goes to the Green Bay Area Public Schools, but also how much of that money is immediately diverted away from our public schools to fund tuition vouchers for children to attend 12 local private schools. I listened – and then I chose not to speak. The ensuing discussion suggested to me that perhaps I should have spoken up. Here’s what I would have said…
Read MoreIda Mae Fuller. Ever hear of her? Probably not. In January 1940, she received a check for $22.54. It was the first-ever U.S. Social Security check issued. I suppose, back in 1940, that little check provided a lot more to Ida than it would to you or me in 2025. We’ve come a long way since 1940 – even a longer way since 1925. But our progress is now in jeopardy.
Read MoreIt was my privilege to be asked to speak at the local Hands Off rally about the potential closure of the Department of Education and the effect it will have on our local public schools. Here is a transcript of the speech I presented at Leicht Park for 1500 very peaceful, respectful demonstrators, led by the inimitable Wanda Truttman Sieber.
Read MoreHaving lived a long life from the days of “We like Ike” through the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement and the Watergate crisis, the election of our first Black president, the real possibility of electing a woman to the White House, and the chaos and uncertainty of 2025, I’ve seen a lot. And I’m nervous. If you are a regular visitor to the Speakeasy, you know I turn to books when I’m confused or worried, and I share my learning here.
Read MoreJim Golembeski, guest author
Twenty-five years ago, as Director of the Bay Area Workforce Development Board, I experienced, along with my colleagues, the shockwave of local plant closings and worker dislocation as new technology and economic globalization drove overwhelming economic changes we hadn’t seen coming. We weren’t looking for the signals back then; we didn’t know how.
Read MoreI’m sure when he wrote his book by that title – The Case for Christian Nationalism – Stephen Wolfe did not consider himself hateful, nor did I have an inkling about how his book would make me feel. I had simply set about to educate myself – my greatest joy these days. You see, in 2024, as I researched a variety of issues, I kept encountering the term “White Christian Nationalism.”
Read MoreRecently I was searching my Kindle to see what I might dig into next – perhaps an unfinished read or even a book I’d bought and forgotten about. Indeed! There was a book called The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump. I had no recollection of buying it, nor did I have any idea what it was about – except, of course, the obvious. Did it “call to me”? You bet it did! This was right at the time that Donald Trump was being inaugurated for the second time – January 2025 – and, yes, I was scared this time.
Read MoreHey! I want my vote for president to count. You too? I mean I want a system whereby, in our presidential election, every voter who casts a vote for Candidate A actually sees his or her vote go to Candidate A. Likewise, each vote cast for Candidate B by an eligible American voter goes directly to Candidate B. And we add them up, and that’s it: We have a winner, chosen directly by the people. I like that.
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